Most women have their first prenatal visit at 8 weeks pregnant. This doctor's visit will be longer and more involved than future prenatal visits. It is a great time to ask any questions that you may have, discuss your concerns, and learn more about what to expect about your physician's prenatal care routine.
At your first prenatal visit, be prepared to fill out a lengthy health history. Some physicians will mail you the forms ahead of time, as it may take awhile to complete. A typical health history questionnaire asks questions about:- Your previous deliveries and complications
- Both your partner and your genetic history
- Significant previous medical problems
- Previous surgeries
- Current medications that you are on
- Allergies
- Alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use
- Your eating habits
- Environmental or occupational hazard exposure
- Sexually transmitted disease history
- Other gynecology history
The more information you can provide about your medical history, the better prepared your doctor will be in structuring your prenatal care and providing any special help you may need.
At your first doctor's visit, you will also have a physical exam (which includes a pap smear and pelvic exam), lab work and most likely, an ultrasound to confirm your due date.
The lab tests you undergo at your first prenatal visit will not only determine your blood type and Rh factor, but it screens for antibodies that could harm your baby, examines your immunity to the rubella virus (or German measles), and checks for anemia, bladder infections, sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis B, and HIV.
The most exciting part of your first prenatal visit is that you will be able to find out your estimated date of delivery, or your due date.| | Fun Fact:
Only about 1 in 20 women actually deliver their baby on the exact due date they're given. | | |
To calculate your due date, your doctor uses a combination of methods, including the date of your last period, an ultrasound measurement of your baby, and the date of conception, if available.
Calculating the correct due date is very important. Not only is it used as a timeline for checking the growth of your baby, your due date helps to time prenatal tests and to make sure your labor and delivery does not happen too early or too late. Most women go into labor between 37 and 42 weeks.
|
Pregnancy Week by Week
Pregnancy Explained A to Z
Nutrition and Beauty
Pregnancy Blog
Ask Our Doc - Pregnancy Q & A 
Follow us on FaceBook
Follow us on Twitter
